“Why, we’re here for the funeral, sir,” I continued, still in character.
“Cut the bullshit,” he said, and crossed his arms. “What are you really doing here?”
“We’re looking for suspects so Dylan can get on with her life,” I admitted. “Killers often show up at the funeral of the person they murdered.”
“What are you doing here?” Dylan asked, finally joining the conversation.
I didn’t miss his tiny but approving smile. “Gathering evidence.”
“Aha!” I exclaimed, then lowered my voice. “You don’t think she’s guilty either, do you?”
He sighed, relaxing his stance. “Honestly? No.”
And that’s when I fell in love with him.
“Have you found anything?” Dylan asked, leaning closer to us. “Because I still can’t believe Kirk was married. The jerk flirted with every girl in the office. I can’t even tell you how many times he came onto me.”
I nodded. “If that was my husband, I’d stab him in the heart.”
“Good to know,” Jake said.
I couldn’t help a slight smile, but then he got serious as he continued, “The method does suggest a crime of passion, but if everyone knew he was a cheater, the killer could be trying to shift suspicion to the wife or one of his lovers.”
Dylan shuddered. “Eww. Kirk with lovers. That’s an image I didn’t need.”
“I just don’t understand, with what a dog he was, how all those people got up there and said such nice things about him,” I said.
“You’d be surprised how separate folks can keep their private and professional lives,” Jake said. “It’s quite possible his wife never knew or saw anything that raised a red flag.”
“You could be right,” Dylan said. “No one has ever met her. Except maybe his assistant, who had to drop stuff off at his house on occasion. Michelle never said anything, though. I can’t believe Kirk didn’t even have a picture of Bonnie in his office. She seems so nice.”
Jake nodded. “I’m actually glad I ran into you two. After our lunch, Addison, I went to interview some of Kirk’s coworkers and learned that someone broke into the office Wednesday night. You two wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
“Maybe it was the same guys who broke into my apartment,” Dylan suggested with a shrug.
“No. This time it was two women.”
“Women?” I asked, hoping I sounded surprised. “Was anyone able to identify them?”
The way Jake watched us told me wasn’t buying our innocence. Still, he shook his head. “Nope. There was video footage, but the cameras didn’t get a good shot. Besides, the perps wore facepaint and… disguises.”
His gaze lingered, and I felt as though he could see into my soul. “What kind of disguises?” I asked, my voice husky.
Dylan waved her phone in the air. “Asher’s calling and I really need to take this,” she said, backing away as she put the phone to her ear.
I looked back in time to see Jake’s eyes slip to my chest ever so briefly before meeting my eyes again. “The black bustier was really all I noticed.”
I was a little taken aback that he even knew what a bustier was. “Pervert,” I retorted.
He chuckled. “Let me clarify. It’s all I noticed at first, then I took a second to take in the rest. I can’t imagine it was easy to evade the police in those heels, was it?”
“No—no idea,” I stuttered. “The person wore heels? That sounds really dumb.”
Jake frowned. “Yeah, because it was dangerous. And illegal. Get me?”
He looked angry and worried, and as he leaned closer to me, I could smell a hint of cologne, leather, and sexy-as-hell man. I was so turned on; it was all I could do to keep from dragging him into a side room and finally consummating this thing between us.
“Parker!” Detective Pike called, saving me from having to acknowledge Jake’s warning. “Got somethin’.”
“Be right there,” he called back.
“Sounds like you better get to it,” I said, squaring my shoulders so I didn’t jump on him and kiss off his bossy lips.
He cocked his head and then sighed. “Please stop with all this shit, Addison. You’re gonna get yourself hurt... or killed.”
His concern for me only raised my temperature. “I can take care of myself,” I argued.
“I’ll call you this week.”
“Okay. Byeeee.” I smiled and gave him a little wave as he turned and joined his partner. Dylan was nowhere to be seen, so I lingered in the hallway for a moment before following Jake. If he and Detective Pike had something, I wanted to know what it was.
The two detectives slipped into a side room, closing the door behind them. Feeling like some sort of government spy, I surveyed my surroundings. The majority of the funeral attendees were stuffing their faces and drifting toward the front door. Nobody seemed to be paying too much attention to the hallway, so I leaned in and stuck my ear against the door, straining to hear what was happening on the other side.
“And you work in the mailroom?” I heard Jake ask.
A woman’s voice answered, but it was so quiet I could barely make out her yes.
“What was your relationship with Kirk Miller?”
“We’d gone out a few times. I didn’t know he was married, I swear,” the woman replied.
“Not the first time I’ve heard that today,” Jake replied. “So tell me what happened the night Kirk was murdered.”
“After work we went out for drinks at the Purple Nurple.”
I wrinkled my nose. The Purple Nurple was basically a cheap and crappy watering hole. It was dirty and only creepers partook of whatever was being sold there, perfect for picking up prostitutes or wooing your mistress.
“Everything was going well until Kirk got a phone call,” she continued. “I don’t know what was said, but he looked really upset. He turned to look outside and there was this big guy standing in the window watching us. It was creepy.”
“Did you get a good look at the man?” Jake asked.
A group of people were heading my direction. Cursing their bad timing, I peeled my ear from the door and turned on my heel. Jake had found another suspect and I couldn’t wait to tell Dylan about it.
* * *
Dylan
“Hey,” I said into my phone, feeling my cheeks burn from the stupid smile I couldn’t help. I slipped outside for some privacy. “How are you?”
“Good,” Asher said. “Addison said you picked out a dress for the dinner. I can’t wait to see you in it.”
Now if that didn’t turn me into a puddle of goo… “Yeah.” I bit my lip. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
“My pleasure. Trust me, Dylan, I’m planning on getting my money’s worth.”
“What?” I asked, sure I’d misheard him.
He chuckled.
I gasped. “Asher Allen, what kind of girl do you think I am?”
“The kind who is willing to get all dressed up in order to save me from dying of boredom at this dinner. Why? What did you think I meant by that?”
My cheeks burned. I cleared my throat, trying to think of a response, but came up with nothing. Thankfully Asher saved me.
“Oh, hey, I almost forgot why I called you,” he said. “I have a friend who’s a tax attorney. I showed her that spreadsheet and she confirmed that there’s definitely something fishy about it. She has a friend pretty high up in the IRS and has suggested to her that they audit the business.”
“What? Ohmigod, that’s great!”
A couple of mourners were smoking not far from me. They gave me weird looks so I turned back toward the building.
“Yeah, well, sometimes the IRS moves pretty slowly. I’m hoping they’re able to get right on this.”
“Me too.” Like, long before my case went to trial.
“I have to go meet with a client, but I wanted to call and share the good news. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Thanks, Ash.” There were so
many things I wanted to say, but even if I had the words, he didn’t have time. “This means a lot to me. I’ll talk to you later.”
I disconnected and headed back into the building, making a detour at the bathroom. When I went into the last stall, movement high on the wall caught my eye. A water bug shuffled forward a few steps then stopped—its path blocked by a large pipe. Thankful I was wearing flats, I climbed up on the toilet seat and plucked the little guy from the wall.
“Need some help?” I asked.
The bathroom door swung open and someone made a shushing noise. Since I didn’t want to be seen by any of the funeral goers, I ducked down—the bug still in my hands—and hid.
I heard footsteps walk the length of the stalls and then turn back. “Okay, it’s clear. Now we can talk.”
It sounded like Bonnie’s voice. Intrigued, I thought of the camera hidden in the folds of my blouse, wishing I could transport it to the outside of the stall.
“I did everything you asked,” a second voice said. A voice that sounded a lot like Michelle’s.
“Yes, you did. Then fate stepped in and taught us both a lesson, wouldn’t you say?” Bonnie asked.
“Did it ever,” Michelle agreed.
Paper rustled.
“Here’s what I owe you. Thank you,” Bonnie said.
More rustling.
“Thank you. I’m glad it all worked out for you.”
“Even better than planned,” Bonnie said.
Then the door opened and two sets of high heels clicked out of the bathroom. Wondering what the hell I’d just witnessed, I climbed down from the toilet and slowly opened the stall door. After making sure the bathroom was empty, I opened the window and let my little friend out. Then I washed my hands and went to find Addison.
Dylan
“WHAT ABOUT THESE?” Addison asked, holding up a pair of dark blue jeans that would look amazing with her black knee-high boots. She paired the jeans with a baby-blue sweater with silver thread woven throughout, giving it a little bling, that stopped just above her belly button. She decided not to wear a lace cami underneath it so she could show a little skin.
“Perfect. Casual, but classic. He’ll love it.” All her clothes were gorgeous and fit her perfectly. I never understood why she spent so much time deciding what to wear.
She held the sweater up to her chest and looked into the mirror. “Yes, but will it force him to spill case secrets with me? We need details on the man who interrupted Kirk the Jerk’s adulterous romp.”
“It’s an exchange,” I reminded her. “And not of your body. You give him information, he gives you information, and everybody walks away smarter. Win, win. See? Nobody has to feel dirty over it.”
“But seducing the hot cop into whispering his secrets over my naked body sounds like much more fun.”
“You’re ridiculous, you know that? You’re going to a restaurant full of people on his lunch hour. Please do not take off your clothes.”
“Don’t talk to me like you know me,” she quipped. “And be glad you have a best friend willing to throw her body at a fine-ass detective so you don’t have to be someone’s prison wife. You hate fish... can you imagine if you had to go by that name every day?”
“What the hell does fish have to do with anything?”
“It’s what new prisoners are called!” She ground out. “Don’t you know anything?”
“You watch way too much TV.”
“Whatever.” She shook her head. “The sacrifices I make for you. It’s like you don’t even appreciate them.”
I giggled, rolling my eyes. I appreciated this sacrifice, but clearly not as much as she did. “You’re a giver, for sure. Just make sure you don’t show him yours before he shows you his.”
Surprise widened Addison’s eyes. Then she laughed at me.
My cheeks burned as I caught the unintentional innuendo. “And I totally did not mean that to sound sexual, you perv. Now, do you have the flash drive?”
“Yep. It’s in my bag.”
My phone rang. I looked at the display and my stomach sank.
“What? Who is it?” Addison asked.
Bracing myself for the guilt trip I knew I was about to receive, I forced a smile and answered. “Hey, Dad, how are you?”
“Wondering why I haven’t heard from my little girl in over a month. Thought you might be dead in a Dumpster somewhere. Crime in that city is out of control. It’s like people go crazy from living on top of one another.”
I knocked my head against the doorjamb a few times.
Addison scrunched up her face. She gestured at her phone, silently asking if I wanted her to save me.
I did, but if I brushed him off now, I’d only have to endure this call later. Shaking my head no, I left Addison to get ready and headed into the kitchen to do an inventory while Dad continued to prattle on about the many reasons I should go home.
I stopped him long enough to fill him in on the statistics. Again. “Chance of violent crime is one in eighteen here, Dad. Klamath Falls is one in nineteen and Medford is one in sixteen.”
“Which is exactly why you should come back to the country.”
“We have a lot less meth here, though. I mean a lot less. Most people even have their original teeth,” I argued.
“I didn’t call to fight,” he said, sounding exhausted. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay and see what you’ve been up to.”
His concern made me feel bad. He wasn’t getting any younger, and with the daily damage he did to his liver and kidneys, he wouldn’t be around forever. I needed to forgive him. He was asking about my life, and the least I could do was be honest with him. I took a deep breath and began. “You know, the norm. Got fired from my job, accused of killing my boss, did a little time in the slammer, and made out with a man I really like.”
“I get it, Dylan, you’re happy and safe. You don’t have to be a smartass.”
Well, I tried. Time to change the subject. “You’re right, Dad, sorry. What’s new back home?”
He gossiped about people I hoped I’d never have to see again while I thumbed through recipes, making note of the ingredients we needed. I managed to get him off the phone right as Jake arrived to sweep Addison away. After they left, I headed out to go shopping.
My Honda Civic had a few dents, chipped paint, and wasn’t from this decade —or the last—so it didn’t exactly blend in with the cars in Addison’s building’s parking garage. But today it stood out for a whole different reason. The driver’s side tire was flat.
I took a moment to swear and kick the damn tire before deciding this was the universe’s way of reminding me I needed to exercise. I’d been eating better than my usual fare while staying with Addison, and if I didn’t find a way to eliminate some calories soon, more than my boobs would be in danger of falling out of that pretty green dress. The grocery store was only a few blocks away, so I grabbed my reusable bags from the trunk and took off on foot.
I was almost to the store when I heard a man call out, “Miss! Miss! Excuse me, miss.”
Curious, I looked over my shoulder. A man wearing a baseball cap was jogging toward me, waving his hand in the air.
“Miss, can you please help me with directions?”
I stopped walking so he could catch up. “Uh… depends on what you’re looking for.”
He slowed as he approached, keeping his head down. He had dark glasses on, and I could barely see his face. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him.
“OMSI. I promised my kid I’d take him, and I think I took the wrong exit.”
“Sure did. You’re on the wrong side of the river,” I said, brushing off the familiarity. Dark hair, Portland-pale skin, scruffy beard, he looked like half the guys in this city. I pulled out my phone to show him a map.
The man stepped closer. Too close. I went to move away from him, but something hard pressed against my side.
“I’m gonna need you to come with me, Dylan.”
“Wh
at? Why? How do you know my name?” I’d heard his voice before. I tried to get a better look at his face, but he poked me harder in the side. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“Just settle down. Come get in my car and tell me what you did with the money, then I’ll let you go. Nobody has to get hurt.”
My pulse skyrocketed. “What money?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. Come on.” He tugged me in the direction he’d come from.
I had no clue what money he was talking about, and there was no way I was getting into his vehicle. I slid my phone into my pocket and pressed the emergency button on the fob Jake had given me for my keychain. Then, I thought of a way to stall.
“I need to get my medication,” I announced, nodding toward the store.
“What the hell are you talking about?” the man snapped.
“I… I have a condition.” I stammered. “A heart condition. My prescription just got refilled and I… I need to pick it up.”
“You can pick it up when we’re done,” he said.
Yeah, right. If I left with him there’d be no coming back. I dug my heels in, “No. It’s past time for me to take it. I already feel all jittery and… it’s dangerous for me to go without.” I could not stop trembling, which only authenticated the lie. Hoping he was buying it, I nodded toward the store again. “It’ll only take me a minute.”
He swore.
Come on, Jake, be listening.
Jake had said to give as much information as I could, so I tried again. “Please don’t hurt me. I’ll come with you, I promise. You said you’d let me go if I tell you where the money is, and I will. But if you don’t let me get my heart medicine, my heart will probably explode before I talk. Then you’ll never find out what we did with the money.”
He seemed to consider my words for a few moments before jabbing me in the side again. “You know what this is?” he asked.
I nodded, knowing, but hoping I was wrong.
“Then what is it?”
I swallowed, trying to force moisture down my throat so I could speak. “A gun, right?”
“Good. You’re smart. Prove it, and don’t do anything stupid. Stay close to me and make it quick, you hear?”
Dial A for Addison (S.A.F.E Detective Agency Book 1) Page 12